Dummy Reversal

 

Most commonly, in a trump contract, we accumulate extra tricks by getting a ruff or two in the short hand.  However, we "reverse the dummy" when we go for extra tricks by ruffing in the long hand.  For example, in a 5-3 fit we might be able to count 5 trump tricks plus a ruff in the short hand for a total of 6.  Or, by "reversing the dummy", we might get to 6 by counting 3 ruffs in the long hand plus 3 trump tricks in the short hand.  Those ruffs in the long hand must be taken early in the play, before drawing trumps.

 

Related Extracts from Past Wednesday Games

 

 

29	♠ 82 ♥ T965 ♦ J95 ♣ A852	From 11th October, 2006
♠ A76 ♥ KQ87 ♦ AT8 ♣ 963	North West             East           South	♠ Q543 ♥ AJ432 ♦ 62 ♣ KJ	Dlr     North  Vul     Both
© BES, Inc  All Rights Reserved	♠ KJT9 ♥ ♦ KQ743 ♣ QT74	West   North   East     South           Pass     1♥        Dbl 2NT   Pass     3♥       Pass 4♥      Pass     Pass    Pass

 

West’s 2NT was Jordan, showing a 4-card raise with at least invitational values. 

 

The final contract is quite poor indeed, and it’s possible that Declarer might be down a whopping 3 tricks if she misguesses Clubs, and down 2 otherwise.  However, with careful play she can do a trick better than that.  The extra trick can achieved by reversing the Dummy, as follows:

            K♦ lead ducked

            Diamond continuation won by the Ace

            Diamond ruff

            Heart to the King getting the bad news

            Club from the board, let’s say it is misguessed

            Club returned to North’s Ace

            Heart to the Ace, and the J♥ cashed

            Spade to Ace

            Club ruff

This line gives Declarer 8 tricks even with the Club misguess.  It may not seem like much of a triumph but it might well be worth almost average!

 

 

18	♠ QJT2 ♥ 4 ♦ Q8752 ♣ J87	From 11th July, 2007
♠ A973 ♥ QT953 ♦ T4 ♣ 95	North West             East           South	♠ K64 ♥ A87 ♦ A63 ♣ AK43	Dlr       East Vul      N-S
© BES, Inc  All Rights Reserved	♠ 85 ♥ KJ62 ♦ KJ9 ♣ QT62	West    North   East     South                         1♣       Pass 1♥        Pass    2NT     Pass 3♦        Pass    3♥        Pass 4♥        Pass    Pass    Pass

 

One route to 10 tricks is via a Dummy Reversal:

            Spade lead won by Declarer’s Ace

            Diamond won by South

            Heart shift won by Declarer’s Eight

            A♦ and ruff a Diamond

            A♣, K♣, and ruff a Club

            Cross to the K♠

            Ruff another Club

Declarer now has 9 tricks in the bag with the A♥ to come.  Could North have messed things up by playing the Q♦ at Trick Two?  No, Declarer wins this and plays a Diamond which South is forced to win, and the same 10 tricks materialize.  It takes an opening lead of North’s singleton Heart to beat the contract.

 

 

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